Lorenzo Tiepolo

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For the son of the painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, see Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo

Lorenzo Tiepolo (died August 15, 1275) was Doge of Venice from 1268 until his death.

[edit] Biography

Born in Venice, he was the son of doge Jacopo Tiepolo. Under his father, he showed the same strength in both actions and administration. It is debated if his second wife, Marguerite, was either the daughter of the King of Romania or of Bohemund of Brienne, ruler of Rascia). Tiepolo showed also good qualities as commander when, during the war with Genoa, he had defeated them at Acre in 1257.

In 1268, at the death of Reniero Zeno, he was the natural candidate to the succession, was elected as doge on July 23 of that year, with 25 votes out of 41. Although beloved by the population, he attracted the hostility of the Venetian nobility for his nepotism towards his sons. The charge of Cancellier Grande ("Great Chancellor") was therefore create to thwart such a behaviour.

On the foreign field, his reign was somewhat troublesome. In 1270 an important treaty of peace was signed with Genoa at Cremona, confirming the Venetian predominance in the Adriatic Sea; however, in the same year a war broke out against a league of Italian cities (including Bologna, Treviso, Verona, Mantua, Ferrara, Cremona, Recanati, Ancona and others) due to commercial disputes. After an initial setback in 1271, the Venetians were able to change the situation and the peace terms were favourable.

Under his dogado, in 1273, Marco Polo set off for China. He was to return only in 1295.

Tiepolo died in Venice in 1275.